PLPL Plandai Biotechnology Inc (PK)

Plandai Biotechnology Names Diego Pellicer Co-Founder and Cannabis Pioneer Jamen Shively as Vice President of Global Marketing

Recently Appointed Board Member Joins Management Team to Oversee Branding and Product Strategy

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Feb 20, 2014) -  Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc. (OTCQB: PLPL), a producer of highly bioavailable plant extracts for industries including health, wellness, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical, announced today that Jamen Shively, a leading voice in the burgeoning marijuana industry and recently appointed Board Member of Plandaí, has been named as Vice President of Global Marketing.

As VP-Global Marketing, the company released, Mr. Shively will be responsible for building brand awareness and marketing strategy for all of Plandaí's operations including the Diego Pellicer® medical cannabis line as well as the Phytofare™ botanical extracts such as the Green Tea Catechin Complex and the Limonoid Glycoside Complex.

Roger Duffield, Chief Executive Officer of Plandaí, commented on Mr. Shively's new position within the Company, "We're excited to bring Jamen fully into the Plandaí fold. He did a brilliant job building the Diego Pellicer brand, and we're confident that he will build on this experience as we launch the first of our products in the coming weeks. Our goal is to become the leading name in highly bioavailable botanical extracts for both nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications. Jamen has the vision and expertise to help further us towards that end." 

Mr. Shively stated, "I could not be more pleased to come aboard Plandaí, first as a Director and now as a full-time member of the management team. Plandaí is uniquely positioned in that it has no real direct competition -- no one else in the market is selling high bioavailability plant extracts. Consumers are starting to demand more from their vitamins and supplements and asking to what extent are the billions of dollars being spent on such products actually increasing health and wellness. My role with Plandaí, as I see it, is to educate the consumer that they need to demand more from their supplements while also telling the Plandaí story. We have a unique opportunity with Plandaí's technology to fundamentally change how we address wellness, health and prevention through natural, botanical solutions." 

He added, "I am also extremely excited about the application of Plandaí's technologies to cannabis, which I believe will revolutionize the application of cannabis to preventive and therapeutic health, under the Diego Pellicer brand. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for me and for my colleagues at Plandai to change the world by improving the health and wellness of mankind through 100% natural plant extracts. We are unlocking the potential of nature's plant nutrients for humans and animals alike."

Jamen Shively, age 45, has a background in engineering and marketing, with specialties in artificial intelligence, the modeling and optimization of complex networks, and the creation and positioning of new categories of products and services. Jamen co-founded Diego Pellicer Inc. in 2012 and built the brand from zero to the #1 most recognized brand of cannabis in the world in less than one year. Prior to founding Diego Pellicer, Jamen was a Corporate Stategy Manager for Microsoft from 2003 to 2009, where he focused on the creation and development of new categories of software products and online services. Preceding his Microsoft career he headed Shively International Inc., which built and operated both cybercafés and educational computer centers in Mexico. Just prior to founding Diego Pellicer Inc., Jamen founded and headed the online marketplace for the specialty food industry, Findood, winning first place in the Northwest Entrepreneur Network's First Look Forum Competition for the top new startup in 2010. Jamen completed his undergraduate work at U.C. Berkeley in Civil Engineering, and did graduate work at M.I.T. and U.C. Berkeley in Civil Engineering and Materials Science. He is a Fellow of the National Science Foundation.

About Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc.

Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc. and its subsidiaries develop highly bioavailable, phytonutrient rich extracts which are being utilized to deliver a new family of drugs to safely and affordably treat a multitude of diseases and conditions. Plandaí Biotechnology controls every aspect of the process, from growing the raw materials on its farms in South Africa, to producing its patented Phytofare™ extracts in-house, allowing the Company to guarantee the continuity of supply as well as quality control throughout the entire process. Targeted industries for the Company's products include beverage, cosmeceutical, wellness, nutraceutical, anti-aging, and pharmaceutical. For more information, please visit http://www.plandaibiotech.com.

Contact: Andrew Beyer Phone: 619-202-7456 Email: investor@Plandaibiotech.com